


the path to love is never straight

by radiohearts



Category: Ever After High
Genre: F/F, apple is a nervous wreck, briar and raven help, darling has a harem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-05 11:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6703252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radiohearts/pseuds/radiohearts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>briar gives apple the push to finally talk to darling and raven suggests a date to get to know each other</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. in which apple's a mess

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if the format looks weird, posting from my phone. good reading

Ever since apple found out darling had been the one to wake her up, she's been a mess. and who could blame her? she had her life all planned out, sure, she may not have raven to poison her anymore but she could work with that. she was still going to be queen and rule her kingdom perfectly alongside her prince charming.

And now, because of a _simple_ kiss, she didn't even have that anymore. but the thing was that it wasn't a simple kiss, and apple knew that, it was the kiss that determined who she would spend her happily ever after with. But not even that fact stopped apple from avoiding darling for a whole week.

* * *

 

Things for darling on the other hand were going better. People were starting to take her more seriously as a knight and her family wasn't treating her like a defenseless damsel anymore. The only downfall, if you could even call it that, to all of this was all the attention she was receiving, especially from the girls, not that that was anything bad, not at all, but of was starting to get a little distracting.

Girls would show up to her training sessions, some would sneak out of their classes to admire darling in her hero training practices, they showed up everywhere darling went, and swooned at everything darling did. Grimm, was this how daring felt all the time? probably not, because unlike her big brother, Darling didn't live for the public's attention.

Still, the one girl whose attention she was trying to get, seemed to be avoiding her and darling didn't even know why. As far as she new she hadn't done anything wrong, so why was the other blonde suddenly evading her?, all she wanted was to talk to her and tell her that she didn't have to pressure herself to make any kind of decision regarding their situation.

* * *

 

Apple was picking at her breakfast in the castleteria when darling walked in, she wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for Holly sighing dreamily, seriously what is it with all these girls and darling lately? not that she cared but it was getting annoying.

"apple, when are you going to stop this nonsense" said briar interrupting her train of thoughts

"what ever after do you mean briar?" apple tried to play innocent

"you know very well what i'm talking about, you've been avoiding darling for a week now, and I think you and I know very well why." briar reaches across the table and places her hands above apple's

"Look, I know that with raven not following her mom's footsteps you just lost a part of your destiny, but you still have your prince, well princess, charming. And you couldn't be any luckier, darling is hextastic." says briar giving a light squeeze to apple's hands

"that she is" agrees Holly still in her dreamily

"I know that Darling is great but when I saw myself happy in the future I always saw daring, and it is just difficult trying to imagine myself with darling, I mean we barely know each other, i-i-i don't know everything is just confusing to me right now" apple sighs and lowers her head

"listen, I can imagine it being scary and complicated, hex we're teenagers, life's like that for us, but you gotta understand that it's not just your future, it's darling's too" says briar surprised at how good she's handling this  
" I know that, it's just-" begins apple

"then why don't you go and talk to her" suggests briar

"yeah, I should probably do that" admits apple 

* * *

 

apple comes to her dorm and the first thing she does is crash on the bed not noticing her roommate being in the room

"apple, what's wrong , are you sick?" asks a worried raven

"no, it's just all this thing with darling" sighs apple

"oh, that" raven says as she walks over to apple's bed "what happened?"

"nothing, I've decided to finally talk to her about it but nerves are getting the best of me" says apple taking a fetal position

"why? you've talked to her before"

"yes, but that was before I knew she was my, you know, true love" the blonde says

"and why hexactly are you so nervous?" asks the purple-haired girl

" because, if you think about it we really don't know each other, we've never really talked, I never thought about her as anything other than daring's sister" admits apple

then raven snaps her finger and says "I have an idea, why don't you guys go on a date? there's no better way to get know someone than in a date"

"a date? hmm I hadn't thought about that." she pauses "but do you think darling would accept?" she wonders

"i'm sure she will" raven reassures her

"thanks raven" says the blonde hugging her friend.

* * *

 

the next day, after hours of searching for darling, apple finally finds her working out near the tracks.  
she immediately spots the group of girls who follow darling everywhere now, sitting in the bleachers and she starts to head down to where darling is, and then she notices, notices how the muscles on darling's arms flex, how well toned her body is and suddenly she's feeling a little flustered.

Darling is wrapping up her training when she becomes aware that apple is going her way

"Hi darling, I hope i'm not interrupting anything" the other blonde apologizes  
"not at all, I was just finishing here" she dries her face off " so, to what do I owe this pleasure"

"I, mmm, was wondering if maybe, umm, I don't know, you would like to goonadatewithme " she says releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding

"a date?" the platinum blonde wonders and she stays silent for a few seconds and apple panics, grimm had she been a little too forward?

"why, of course" darling says and apple visibly relaxes

"great" apple turns to leave

"wait, when? where? and what time?" darling stops her  
apple's eyes go wide " right, I forgot" she laughs nervously "um, why don't you decide that?"

Darling thinks for a moment "okay, well I'll pick you up at your dorm at noon on saturday, and we'll go to some place and have a picnic, is that okay?"

"of course" apple says a little too quick

"hexcellent, I guess I'll see you then" darling winks and walks away leaving a still very confused and flustered apple standing there.


	2. the date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> date day is finally here, and to no one's surprise, apple's still a mess

The long-awaited day had arrived, and everyone in apple's friend group was more than glad. It had been a week of ''what if i don't dress appropriately''s and ''what if something goes wrong''s, and while they knew that was just apple's nerves getting the best of her, it was getting tiring.

Apple had been sitting on her bed for about 2 hours now, wondering which outfit was more ‘’first date appropriate’’, Raven, who was helping her choose an outfit, sighed once more

‘’apple, it doesn’t matter what dress you choose, you’ll look great in everything, and I think darling will agree’’

‘’I know, but depending on the success of this date, it will determine out entire relationship’’ panics apple

‘’don’t you think you’re hexaggerating a little?’’ says raven furrowing her brows

‘’there’s no such a thing as hexaggerating about one’s future’’

Raven just rolls her eyes ‘’just finish dressing up, darling could be here any minute now’’

Apple stand up, goes to her closet and picks a dress that consists of a golden bodice and a red skirt with little black ribbons on it, red shoes that also have little ribbons on them and a black pearl necklace. A few minutes later, she emerges from the bathroom

‘’okay, how do I look?’’ apple says spinning around

‘’hextastic’’ says raven giving the blonde a thumbs up

And then there’s a knock on their door, raven stands up to get it while apple puts her crown on

‘’Hi, darling’’ says raven with a wave

‘’Hi raven’’ smiles the other girl ‘’is Apple ready?’’

‘’Yeah, she shouldn’t take long’’

Apple shows up behind raven and says ‘’I’m ready’’

Darling eyes apple up and down the minute she appears, ‘’Grimm she looks beautiful’’ she thinks

‘’Darling?’’ apple asks waving a hand in front on darling’s face ‘’everything okay?’’

The platinum blonde shakes her head quickly ‘’Yes, everything’s alright, you look gorgeous’’ she says giving apple a red rose she remembered was on her hand

‘’Thank you, darling’’ she sniffing the rose ‘’you look gorgeous too’’ she says shyly

Darling made a confused face, she was just wearing her training clothes ‘’Sorry, my dad, err, I mean dr king charming wanted us to train with the dragons today, and we got a little carried away with the practice, so I didn’t have time to go to my room and change, and this is all I had in my locker’’ she laughs ‘’if I didn’t have this I probably would have come in my knight armor’’

‘’oh, that’s okay’’ the blonde smiles and they just stand there staring at each other until a cough coming from behind them brings them back to reality.

‘’um, I’m going inside to put the rose on a vase, brb’’ says apple going inside

‘’shall we?’’ says darling once apple returns, offering her arm out to the other blonde who nods and takes it smiling

They start walking down the hallway when they hear raven yell ‘’have a good time, and don’t do something I wouldn’t do’’, apple instantly flushes and darling just laughs

 

* * *

 

The pair are walking by the main entrance when they hear a chorus of ‘’hi darling’’s and a feeling of jealousy settles into apple’s stomach

‘’You sure seem quite popular lately’’

‘’That? I guess’’ she scratches the back of her head ‘’at first I didn’t mind, but then it happened everywhere I went, and it became a little overwhelming’’, ‘’but now I suppose I’ve gotten used to it’’ she shrugs

‘’you must be feeling like daring’’

‘’I must say that I did at first; I kind of liked the attention. The fact that with just one smile the girls fall at your feet, literally’’ apple looks down, a little sad and the other girl notices ‘’but I was never interested in any of them, i am promised destined to someone else’’ she says winking and apple lifts her head and blushes

‘’So’’ apple begins, trying to change the subject ‘’where are we going?’’

‘’Oh, patience, you’ll see’’

A couple of minutes later, they arrive to the entrance of enchanted forest

‘’We’re almost there, can you cover your eyes?’’

‘’okay’’ apple responds hesitating and covers her eyes

Darling grabs her by the waist to lead her to their destination and apple flutters inside.

They walk in silence for a little while until darling speaks ‘’we’re here’’

Apple takes her hands from her eyes and blinks, readjusting to the light. She then takes in the scene before her, it's the pixies' valley

‘’wow darling, this is beautiful’’ says apple, her eyes scanning the space, since the first time she was here she couldn't really appreciate it.

‘’i’m glad you like it, whenever I think of you I think of this place, and it made the perfect picnic scenario for our ‘’she hesitates ‘’first date’’ she smiles sheepishly

‘’well, you definitely got it right’’ she grabs darling’s hand and the other girl leads her to a table set in the middle of the field, covered in white tablecloth and with a couple of aromatic candles lit at the sides, even though it was the middle of the day.

Darling takes out a chair for apple to sit in ‘’thank you’’ the blonde says as she sits down. The other girl takes her own place and the pixies appear, holding plates in their hands while they fly over them. They set them in front of each girl and apple clasps her hand together when she sees what’s in her plate

‘’apple pie with caramel apples on top, oh darling, how ever after did you know?’’

‘’I took a guess’ says the charming, winking

Apple eats a piece of her pie and makes a pleasing sound ‘’oh Grimm, this is delicious’’

‘’I’m glad you like it, ginger baked it’’ says darling, taking a piece of her blueberry pie

 

‘’can I ask you a question?’’ darling inquires, interrupting their quiet meal

‘’of course’’ says apple warmly

‘’it is just that the last few weeks have felt like you’ve been, umm, avoiding me. I was actually surprised when you came to talk to me last Saturday’’

‘’to be honest, I have been avoiding you’’ darling looks at her with hurt in her eyes ‘’I’m sorry about that, I was just scared, because my whole destiny had been changed, my enemy and even the person who i was going to spend it with’’ she takes a deep breath ‘’and I suppose I didn’t know how to handle all that’’

‘’I haven’t thought about it like that, it must have been a hard time for you’’

‘’Yes, it was. Thank you for understanding’’

‘’Always’’

 

* * *

 

Once they finish eating, darling takes apple to see a show the pixies have planned for them. They sit on a log and watch the pixies reenact the events from three weeks ago. Deerla plays a great and hilarious evil queen, the girls burst out laughing every time she throws a fit. And then they get to the part where darling wakes apple up, Featherly kisses Harelow and the girls look at each other and blush, and scoot closer unconsciously.

When the play is done, darling suggests they take a dragon ride and apple agrees. Darling then whistles with her fingers and her dragon, Herowing, appears flying in the sky. She lands a couple of feet from them, and they thank the pixies for everything and wave goodbye.

Darling hops on first and extends a hand to apple to help her up, she places herself in behind darling, her hands tight around the knight’s waits, and they ride off.

Herowing takes them on a tour of the kingdom. They stay silent for a while, taking in the view, amazed at how beautiful ever after really was.

Apple makes a sound at the back of her throat ‘’So, thank you for everything, really’’

‘’it was the least I could do. I mean to be honest, I was nervous about today. I guess the fact that we’re supposed to spend the rest of our lives with each other does put a little pressure on me to make this perfect’’

Apple can see the dorm towers getting close

‘well it was’’ says apple as Herowing pulls up next to apple and raven’s dorm balcony

Darling climbs off the dragon and onto the balcony, helping the princess who falls from the dragon onto the arms of her white knight. Her face turns red and darling puts her down gently.

‘’I had a good time today, apple’’ darling takes apple’s hand in her own ‘’I hope we can do this again soon’’

‘’of course, but I’m planning next’’ says apple winking, then she leans in and gives a kiss to darling’s cheek ‘’I’ll see you soon, my knight’’ and she walks into her room

Darling just stands there, touching her cheek and Grimm, she swears she’s never going to hear the end of it from her friends, but apple is worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had so much fun writing this, thank you for reading:) (hmu at tumblr @jerihogarths to talk about eah or anything really) 
> 
> apple's gown inspiration (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/50/12/94/501294f1d2f9b253a8f5e270856f7155.jpg)

**Author's Note:**

> any observation about my writing style is appreciated, new writer here. see you next chapter :)


End file.
